Shades of Black
by Shiguya Retomasi
Summary: Being a detective is never easy, especially when a string of murders start up in a normally quiet town... Winchester, freelance detective for the viridian PD finds himself caught up in of murders that have no answers... M for violence and language, enjoy
1. Part 1

All characters, places, and recognized names are copy write their respective owners. Anything else is mine, so please don't be a thief; Shadowbane doesn't appreciate it.

_Italicized_ words are thoughts.

( ) is a pokemon speaking when others who cannot understand it are present, simple enough

**Shades of Black**

The drone of an overhead fan was all I could hear; _God I could use a cigarette._ It's times like this that I regret ever trying to play the 'good cop' role; all it does is land you in the hot zone. _If I had just followed my instincts and fired…_

I snapped my head around when the sound of a door handle turning broke the silence. A well-built man entered, trailed closely by a pale young man; great, let the pointless interview begin. The two men seated themselves across from me, the bigger of the pair leaned forward and stared hard, trying to intimidate me; so I just stared back. _Figures…they're trying the old 'good cop, bad cop' routine on me._

"I suppose you know why you're here?" the man spoke in a husky voice, probably from smoking too much judging by the stains on his teeth.

"Not really, all they did was toss me in this room after I returned." Actually, I knew perfectly well what was going on, but they didn't need to know that.

"You're in big trouble Winchester; they've got two witnesses that swore they say you talking with the murderer." The pale 'good cop' tried to act sympathetic; piss poor at best, but he's probably just a rookie. He did surprise me by sliding a pack of Camerupt lights toward me along with a lighter; he's suppose to taunt me with them first…what are they up to?

"You're looking at a lot of trouble; conspiring with a murderer, corruption charges, the list goes on. If you cooperate with us, maybe we can clear some of that up" The 'bad cop' leaned forward, supporting his weight with his arms. I took quick note of the silver cufflinks he wore; not standard issue for an officer, so he must be from an outside department.

"Before you go calling in the executioner, allow me to tell my side of the tale; maybe shed some light on this tangled web of murders." I'm not about to play my hand just yet, simply placing a few cards out and seeing what they do.

"All right, but don't try and talk your way out of this one." I simply took a single cigarette out of its box and lit the end; taking a long drag and starting my side of the story.

"As you know, I've been investigating the Moonlight ripper case…"

0o0o0o0o0o0o

The dull sound of traffic outside my window nearly put me to sleep; it had been a slow week around Viridian, after the crackdown on gang activity the city had become a veritable utopia. Not exactly good news when you're a detective.

I was just about to leave for the night when she walked in; a young girl of about 16. She wore an elegant red dress that marked her from being an uptown girl, and judging by the size of the rock on her hand, she was from a wealthy family. Only thing that really stuck out were her earrings; well made silver, yet tarnished in places.

"I hear you can help people who are in trouble." Her voice was soft, but commanding; the old 'iron hand in the velvet glove' type.

"I can, just depends on the trouble." She was an oddity to me; everything about her shouted of high society, so what was she doing down in this seedy part of town?

"I have reason to believe…" She hesitated, playing with her ring for a moment before saying "that someone is following me." not surprising; young girl, rich father, easy mark for a kidnapping. I simply leaned forward in my chair, pulling a carton of cigarettes from a pocket and offering her one. She declined politely, so I knocked one loose for myself and took a moment to light it, using the silence to analyze the facts. She was young, obviously rich and worried about a potential stalker; or so she said. Her slow pace entering my office and sudden bout of nervousness told me she was lying. Something must have brought her here though; it sure wasn't the scenery. I operate out of a dingy building; rent's cheap so I don't complain.

"Tell me, what really brought you here?" I stared at her pointedly, waiting for her to make the next move.

"I don't know what you're talking about." _Too fast_.

"I doubt that, there's something else you're not telling me." I blew a small cloud of smoke out the side of my mouth, adding to the dull haze that hung in the air.

"I told you, I think someone's following me." _Again, too fast_. This time she shifted her weight a bit. It's not a stalker…but something similar.

"I can't help you until you help me." I leaned back, tapping the end of my cigarette on an ashtray lightly. I don't like being lead around by anyone, and there was no way she was going do that to me. It may be something serious; she hasn't even told me her name yet. The silence was broken only by the occasional car horn blaring from the street below. By the time she spoke again, my cigarette had nearly burned down to nothing.

"There is something else…a note was sent to my father." _Now we're getting somewhere_. I kept a close eye on her as she pulled a crumpled piece of paper from her purse; wary of any sudden moves. The mystery woman placed it on my desk tentatively, as if unsure of her own actions. I leaned forward slowly, making sure not to startle her as I picked up the note she had placed there. It was written on plain typing paper; no markings, whoever sent it was smart. Typed in block letters, it was slightly difficult to read from being crumpled; but I could still make out the short message.

'It is a thin line you walk, either back off or suffer the consequences.'No signature, only a noticeable variation in the l's; as if typed with a few broken keys. I turned it over, hoping to find a stain, a blotch of ink, something that could shed some light on who sent it; nothing.

"When did he receive this note?" I turned my gaze back to her, lowering my sunglasses and fixing her with a stern look; ignoring the quiet gasp of shock she let out. For some reason, showing anyone my…odd feature makes them less inclined to lie; must fear that other parts of me aren't human.

"A few days ago; he said that whoever sent it was just blowing smoke and threw it in the trash." Her eyes wouldn't meet mine; she's still not telling me everything.

"And has anything happened between then and now?" I drew another long breath, ignoring the cough building in my chest. She simply looked away, not answering. "As I said before, I can't help you until you help me." I finished my cigarette, jabbing the stub into the tray carefully.

"My father…he runs a large casino…but as of late, I've been suspecting that he does more than that on the side." Now I recognize her, Kathline Vermoune; daughter of Bruce Vermoune, big man of town. Only reason I remembered is because of the big scandal a few years back involving them running illegal pit fights below the casino.

"Can you please elaborate on your suspicions?" _What could he be into this time? _The police have been over his affairs with a fine-toothed comb for months after that scandal, making it impossible to start up anything shady without attracting a lot of unwanted attention.

"I've already said too much, I shouldn't have even come here." She abruptly got up and walked quickly to the door. I should have followed, but I didn't; so she had a suspicion, it was probably nothing. The girl paused in the doorway for a moment to take one final glance at me; by then I had already put my sunglasses back on, so she simply left, letting the door close with a soft click. If only I had followed, maybe she would still be alive…

0o0o0o0o0o0o

"So you mean to tell me that you let a young girl, one who came to you for help simply walk out of your office?" The 'bad cop' leaned in closer, causing the table underneath him to groan from the weight. I took that moment to examine his cufflinks; sterling silver, import from the unique design pressed into the surface…where had I seen it before?

"Yes, actually; she didn't want to tell me what I wanted to know, so I let her leave." I took another slow drag; nonchalantly blowing the smoke out my nose. 'Good cop' simply snorted, earning him a glare from his superior.

"And it just so happens, that she was murdered only a few blocks away?" 'Bad cop' leaned in close enough this time for me to tell what he had for lunch; I would have decked him if it wouldn't land me in more trouble.

"If you're implying that I had something to do with it then look at the records; I was on the one who called it in, why would I have someone killed then hang around the scene?" _Time to take the offensive._

"You tell me." _Hmph, such a crude trap._

"By now you've looked into this thoroughly, and have no doubt found that the other murders in the case were all committed when I was either indisposed or with others." Not a great argument, but I want them to think I'm blind to the situation.

"Never mind that question for now, what happened after she left?"

"I took a walk down to the corner store for something to eat; that was also in the report." His rather crude method of trying to trap me was getting irritating.

"Right, you were conveniently near the murder scene." I finished off my cigarette, letting the ashes fall onto the table before putting it out.

"If by conveniently, you mean waiting in line while someone who can barely speak English rings up a few groceries, then yes…"

0o0o0o0o0o0o

I hated the market down the street, damn guy running it was hard to understand; he only knew a bit of English. On top of that, the prices were outrageous; but the next closest place was two miles away, so they could get away with it. I grabbed the least expired sandwich I could find, a couple of cans without labels along with a bottle of cheap liquor and dumped them on the counter.

The man behind the counter was anywhere between thirty and eighty; his face was so badly wrinkled it was hard to tell. He gave me a strange look that I returned and began silently ringing up my purchases. The entire place smelled of mothballs, not sure if it was coming from the store or the owner. He said some barely intelligible total, so I just handed him a few bills and took my change without counting it, best not to know what this crap cost me.

The corner light did little to dispel the thick shadows that all the high-rise buildings cast down on the street, not that it really mattered to me; I prefer the dark. It was raining pretty hard that night, good thing I prefer wearing a hat and trench coat. I walked along the deserted sidewalk, wary of the occasional car driving down the road. The sandwich was at least two months beyond expiration, so I ducked down a side alley to pitch it. I opened the bottle and took a long drink, figuring on eating something fresher in the morning.

That's when I heard it; a feral growl followed by a human voice coming from the far end of the alley. I dropped everything and ran toward the sound, holding my gun holster tightly just in case it was needed. Another scream, this one cut short pierced the inky darkness; I ran as hard as my lungs would let me. When I neared the exit, I saw a large canine form standing over a crumpled body; blood dripping from its jaws. Before I could even blink, the creature fled into the night.

It took a second for the scene to sink in; the same girl that had been in my office just an hour ago was lying dead on the pavement; a rapidly growing pool of blood forming around the tattered reminds of her neck. Whatever that creature was, it had torn out her throat from the side, ripping apart her jugular along with part of her spine; exposing bone and muscle to the air. The heavy stench of death hung around the area, a sickening mix of rainwater and blood mixing together into a sticky perfume. Strangely, I wasn't fazed; my years on the force had led me to enough murder scenes that this one was routine.

I turned and walked down the street, passing by a half-eaten Growlithe that may have belonged to her before finding a payphone. Bastard storeowner had overcharged me, but this was no time to gripe about that. I dug out some change and placed a call to the Downtown station, entertaining the thought of taking on the case myself then dropping it; there was no case, it was just a wild attack.

"Vermillion dispatch, how may I help you?" _Good, Darla is on duty tonight; _she knows me and won't ask too many questions.

"This is Detective Winchester; I'm calling in a possible homicide." She was silent for a moment, probably running a quick trace to save time.

"I have your location; is anyone else at the scene?" Standard question, but a bit suspicious; _why would she ask that?_ I hesitated for a moment before replying, something wasn't right about this.

"I'll be at the scene, send a coroner." I hung up the phone before she could argue; something about this smelled rotten. I was probably just imagining things, but it all seemed too convenient; a girl that came to me for help being killed only a few blocks away, then the dispatcher on duty indirectly asking if I was alone. There was more to this than met the eye, and I intended to find out what.

I slipped out of the phone booth, pulling my coat tight to keep myself dry; walking back to the alley and leaning against the building under a small overhang. From there, I had a clear view of the road. I pulled a half empty carton of cigarettes from my coat, drawing one out and lighting it carefully; using my hand to shield the small flame from the wind.

Time passed slowly, I was nearly finished with my cigarette by the time a pair of dim headlights pierced the gloom. I tossed the stub onto the ground and crushed it before shrinking a bit further into the alleyway; watching carefully. A large white vehicle stopped near the phone booth, by the exempt plates I knew it was from the station; but why did they stop there? My hand moved involuntarily toward my side arm, just in case this turned bad. A pair of men, both dressed in white coats exited the vehicle, the passenger taking a moment to retrieve a large white box from the back before following the other. I eased up slightly, but kept hidden.

"He's not here; dispatch said there was a detective on the scene." The one carrying the box stopped for a second, looking around before moving on.

"Forget it; from what I've heard about him, he's the really suspicious type. Probably would sooner shoot than listen."

The passenger shrugged and went over to the girl, pulling a small camera out of his pocket and snapping a few pictures off for evidence.

"What do you think, an Arcanine?" _Idiots; the bite was too small for that._

"It was something smaller." I stepped out from under the awning slowly, quickly flashing my badge to make sure they didn't shoot.

"Then what was it?"

"I didn't get a good look, but it couldn't have stood higher than my waist." Pokèmon biology was never a strong suit of mine, but I did have a sharp eye for detail.

"That doesn't limit it down much; maybe the pathology will reveal something else. You taking the case?" I thought for a moment before dismissing it. She did come to me for help, but this looked like nothing more than a random attack.

"No. This looks like nothing more than a stray attacking out of hunger, not a homicide." The driver just shrugged, walking to the vehicle and bringing back a cart for the victim. I helped out where I could; figured it would get us all out of the rain faster. Once everything was loaded, the driver scratched off a quick report with a silver pen and drove off; leaving me to walk back to the office alone.


	2. Part 2

0o0o0o0o0o0o

The morning started just like any other; dig up a stale donut and some coffee for breakfast and read the paper. I was about to toss it in the trash and get a start on the day when I spotted a small story buried in the local section. The girls' obit was out; death attributed to wild attack, just as I thought. What struck me as odd was that there was only a private funeral; close family only. I suppose this should have been expected, keeping a death in the family quiet to avoid too much press. But the picture of her father stuck out; he didn't look the least bit distraught. As if this was just another minor annoyance in his day. Something about it bothered me; why wasn't he the least bit distraught by his only daughters' premature death?

There was something more to this, and it was bothering me. _Girl comes to me fearing a stalker, leaves a threatening note her father received behind, ends up dead at the end of an alley; and now her father doesn't seem upset. _Too many questions with not enough answers. The phone rang before I could come to any conclusions; I caught it on the second ring.

"Winchester speaking." The voice on the other end was formal, but friendly.

"This is Tony down in homicide. You know that homicide you called in?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"The test results are in; they couldn't get any usable marks." _Well, there goes that avenue._ "Most of the men down here think you're right about it being random, but I don't." _Great, an overeager rookie. _"I was wondering if you were taking the case, your reputation is legendary."

"Sorry, I stick by that statement; it was just a wild attack." _Wasn't it? _

"Suit yourself." there was a click on the line, then a dial tone. I replaced the receiver gently, finishing my coffee in one gulp and tossing the paper on my way out.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened for a few days; my work was slow in a town without crime. The girl was all but out of my thoughts when a second case appeared; this time an older gentleman. They pulled him out of a dumpster; killed in the same fashion. This time, I went down to the station to speak with the head pathologist myself; it was no coincidence that two humans were killed in exactly the same fashion.

The smell of formaldehyde and other chemicals hung heavy in the air, mixing with the stench of rotting flesh; it was nauseating. The 'doc' as he was jokingly called was a grizzled Alakazam; not exactly what you would call friendly, but one of the best in the business. He gave me a questioning look as I entered, guess he doesn't get too many visitors down here; no doubt because of the smell.

"What brings you down here, detective?" As the stench clouded my mind, it took a minute to formulate an answer.

"I…wanted to ask a few questions about the vic they hauled in." He frowned slightly, pulling a thin file out of a nearby cabinet.

"Not much really; he'd been there for several hours, eliminating any chance of finding anything useful." He frowned again, but looked thoughtful. I used the brief silence to flip through the file; Dick White, age 25. Found dead in a dumpster just outside of town. Death attributed to multiple severe lacerations in the trachea. _Killed in the same fashion… _

"Who found the body?"

"Some rookie; idiot hounded me for twenty minutes before I threatened to erase the last ten years of his memory." 'Doc' actually smiled faintly at his private joke. "Never seen a living human go that pale before." I just nodded and continued reading. The longer I stared at those pictures, the more suspicious I became; wild Pokèmon don't normally use such a methodical killing blow…it was almost as if the attacker was purposely avoiding leaving any evidence…

"Did anything strike you as odd about the vic?"

"Only that whatever killed him didn't bother eating him; they even hauled in what was left of his throat." _Great, didn't need to know that._

I flipped through a few photos that were paper clipped to the folder; the first was a close shot of the killing wound, a few arrows and codes were drawn onto the glossy surface. Whatever was doing this, it wasted no effort in delivering swift death; all that remained of the vic's throat was a bit of shattered spinal cord and some putrefying flesh lying limply on the steel table. Whatever was behind these attacks, it meant business. The next photo was of the full breakdown; organs set in various pans for testing, a large Y incision ran down the vic's entire body; the sides of flesh had been pinned outward to allow access to the internal cavities. The final picture was of the vic's personal belongings; beat up leather wallet with Drivers license to the side, a pair of reading glasses, and a silver pocket watch.

"You said the body was intact when someone found it?"

"Oddly enough, yes. Preliminary tests showed he had died from the neck wound, nothing more. There was trace amounts of some kind of energy in the bite mark, but not enough to draw any conclusions." _Odd energy, that dark figure… what was doing this?_

"Do you have a copy of the Vermoune case?" More and more these two deaths seemed related somehow, and by more than the cause of death.

"You'll have to get it from the record room; I don't keep extra copies on hand." Great.

"Well, thanks for your time." I handed back the folder, trying not to gag as the fumes seemed to intensify.

"No problem." I turned and left, thankful to be out of the suffocating atmosphere…

0o0o0o0o0o0o

"So, you've been on that case since the beginning?" "Good cop asked, pulling out a notepad and scribbling something down.

"No, I just scrounged around for a bit of information; a bad habit of mine." something about their questions wasn't right…

"Bullshit. Records show that you pulled a copy of every murder linked with the Moonlight Ripper case." Bad cop stood up to his full height, pulling a folded piece of paper from an inner pocket. "You're not telling the whole truth, are you?"

"What I'm telling you is fact, whether you choose to believe it or not." I stared at him, letting my sunglasses slip down a bit. When he caught sight of my cracked eye, 'bad cop' backed off. "Now, would you prefer to hound me over minor details or get to the bottom of this case?"

"For now, just answer my questions truthfully." He had lost some of his confidence; good. I took another cigarette out and lit it; taking the time to think about the situation.

"Those are nice cufflinks, where'd you pick them up?" _Time to add some pressure of my own._

"They were a gift from my sister." Somehow I doubted that, but now is not the time.

"I picked up the case as my own later, when it became apparent that they weren't just random attacks…"

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Five deaths in two weeks; every one in the same fashion. That rookie jumped at the chance to take the case, which was fine with me. I'm not young anymore, and running after murderers didn't hold the same thrill for me; I say leave the chasing to the young. I did however begin asking a few questions around town; following up on leads from each case. They were all dead ends, but through it all, I did run across something important. Each of the victims had some connection with the Casino; business partners, rivals, investors. They all had some stake in it, except for the girl. Sure, she was the owner's daughter, but records showed that she had nothing to do with it. So why was she killed? All that running around had turned up little, so I decided to visit the place in question; the Lucky Spinda casino.

The place was swarming with customers; men and women from both uptown and downtown were gathered to take their chances and try to strike it rich. Snowballs chance in hell, but people flocked to it.

I wandered slowly through the downstairs setup; noting that the place was almost sterile. All the slot machines were brand new; brass, copper, silver and even a few gold trims glinted in the artificial light, giving the place an enchanted feel. Beyond all the noise and chaos, situated in its own area was a set of quiet poker tables for the more 'serious' gambler. A couple of burly Machoke wearing uniforms stood at the far end; passively keeping an eye on the activities within. _Might as well start here._

I kept a straight face as I seated myself at an open table; acting like I belonged there.

"How much to deal in?" Gambling wasn't a big thing for me, but people loosen up a bit when playing cards. Guess it's something about the smoky atmosphere that puts them at ease.

"20,000, but what's a flatfoot like you doing here?" I pushed my shades up the bridge of my nose slowly, showing my indifference to his comment. The one who had asked was wearing a fine tailored suit; probably import judging by the Ninetails fur collar. Medium build, dark hair cut short; probably a big businessman out for a night of fun. I noted a large Persian sitting at his side; classy cat for a classy human, typical.

"Just looking for a friendly game." I kept an even voice, noting that the two guards had shifted their attention my way.

"Think you can handle that price?" A shorter man spoke up this time; pale skin, neat haircut, sharp suit with gold trim, and a large Murkrow perched on his right shoulder; all the marks of a shipping tycoon.

"Not a problem." I pulled a large wad of cash from an inner pocket; tossing it onto the table lightly. The first man picked it up and counted, grunting in acknowledgment. There were two others at the table; a man I instantly recognized as the owner of this establishment and another man…

0o0o0o0o0o0o

My mind trailed off, _why didn't I see it then?_

"Something wrong?" I shook my head slowly, clearing away that thought.

"No, everything's fine. Now, where was I…ah yes…"

0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Cigar?" I turned my head quickly, reacting to a female voice behind me. She held a tray of very expensive Cubans in one hand and a silver lighter in the other.

"No thanks, I carry my own smokes." I replied, smiling politely and pulling out my pack of lights. She nodded and moved on, probably not used to anyone passing up her expensive wares, or her body for that matter; with what little she had on, that girl wouldn't last ten minutes outside this casino.

"A man of taste, you are not; but quite gutsy. Tell me, what brings you to my establishment?" Mr. Vermoune leaned back in his chair slightly, adopting an amused look; this was all just a game to him.

"Just looking for a good game of cards, that's all." I kept a sharp eye on the guards; ready for a fight any moment. To my relief, they resumed their slow scan of the room.

"So Mr. …"

"Winchester."

"Ah yes, the infamous detective; didn't you recently suffer a serious case of lung cancer?" _Sure as hell did, nearly killed me_…well, that's another story entirely…

"I pulled through it fine." _Mostly_; only cost me the use of a lung, and I'm still smoking.

Mr. Vermoune signaled to a large Mr. Mime sitting at an unoccupied table, quietly shuffling a deck of cards. The dealer in question picked up and walked over to our table, keeping a perfect rhythm the entire time.

"I trust, detective, that it is not against the law to hire Pokèmon for certain…tasks that a human would have trouble with?" something about the way he said that wasn't right; but there were no laws against it, provided they receive fair treatment.

"Can we get on with this game? I have a very important meeting in an hour." The Persian man glared at the mime, as if annoyed by its presence. Something about him was familiar, but I couldn't place it. I did note his cufflinks; sterling silver with what appeared to be a family crest engraved into the metal. The mime dealt out the cards without even touching the deck, leading me to suspect this game may be rigged…

0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Then why did you play?" 'Good cop' had a genuine note of concern in his voice; he's definitely a rookie.

"If the game was rigged, one of the other players would have pointed it out or even been in on it; as an outsider, I was taking a major risk even playing a single hand." _Not entirely true, seeing as the cards they used WERE marked_; and I could see the ink.

"So instead of trying to find some leads, you went out gambling using the department's money?" 'Bad cop' obviously had no proof of that; I could see him sweating. He was just baiting me into setting myself for a fall.

"No, I used some money I'd saved up over the years; sometimes you just have to take a few risks to solve a case." _Also not entirely true._ It WAS money I had saved up over the years, just money from criminals I'd busted. Never said I was an honest detective, just one of the best.

"Right, right…" 'Bad cop' either did have some proof, or was annoyed that I'd slipped right past his trap; neither really matter in the long run.

"If there are no further questions you wish to ask, may I get back to telling what happened?" 'Bad cop' simply grunted. "Thank you. I had just played out a few hands…"

0o0o0o0o0o0o

I was up 10000, something that the other men at the table found quite irritating; judging from their change in mood. Even so, I was no closer to any answers than I was before coming here. I was planning on playing out a few more hands and taking my winnings when the Persian man finally lost his patience and accused me of cheating. This of course didn't go over very well with the others at the table.

"Calm down, it's just a friendly game after all." Mr. Vermoune was trying hard to keep a level head; after all, accusations of cheating do not reflect well on ones standing as a reputable casino.

"Yes, it would be most unwise to make a scene here." The shorter man looked slightly concerned, though the Murkrow kept staring at me intently. _Wonder if it knew more than the humans did?_

"I will not sit here and be insulted like this!" The Persian man shouted, standing up abruptly and causing his furred companion to hiss lightly. I kept quiet, knowing that trying to defend myself would just make the situation worse.

"Please, just sit down and let it go." The two guards turned their attention to our table again, flexing their muscles slightly. Persian man took it as a warning, electing to simply storm off, trailed by his furred companion.

"I do hope that nothing…unfortunate befalls you in the future, Mr. Winchester." He turned back once, fixing me with a harsh stare before straightening his jacket and leaving.

"What's with him?" The others at the table looked at each other for a second before answering.

"Giovanni has…a very short fuse; especially when it comes to losing." _Some fuse_; all I did was beat him…mostly fair and square at a few hands of poker. It's not my fault that the cards were made with ink that I could see through. I debated telling them for a moment, but Mr. Giovanni's explosive reaction to losing told me to keep quiet.

"Hmm." Was all I said. Something about that name was familiar…ah, got it. Giovanni Carvion, wealthy industrialist and alleged mafia member. There was never anything official, simply rumors and bets down at the station. Which would make the shorter man…Masahiro Soto, owner of an oversees computer company; also allegedly mafia affiliated. _Just what was Mr. Vermoune involved in?_

"Unfortunately gentlemen, without another player we will have to call it a day." I stood up slowly, picking up my winnings and preparing to leave when something struck me in the head. My vision blurred, giving me one last glimpse of a black clothed figure before I passed out.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Some detective you are, letting someone sneak up on you like that." 'Bad cop' gave me a dark grin, making it very hard to resist the urge to snap his neck. Instead I just concentrated on my third cigarette, hoping the nicotine would keep my anger at bay a little longer.

"You would be surprised how easily you can be snuck up on in a casino." That and I was momentarily distracted by my thoughts. In the end though, it did lead me closer to the truth.

"Hmph, so after you were knocked out what happened?" I finished off my cigarette and leaned back in the chair again; taking a moment to recall everything.

"The only thing I remember was someone or something punching me in the gut…"

0o0o0o0o0o0o

My stomach felt like a two-ton weight had slammed into it; I wheezed from the impact. Whatever hit me struck me again, this time delivering a solid blow to my skull; forcing me to open my eyes. Once the world came back into focus, I found myself in a small room roughly the size of my office. An extremely muscular human stood in front of me, cracking his knuckles in anticipation. Next to him was one of the largest Sneasel's I had seen in my life, its razor sharp claws slashing at the air lightly. Both human and Pokèmon wore identical looks of feral pleasure; _must be a torturing pair._ I tried to move my arms, but found myself tied securely to a metal chair; _guess whoever knocked me out meant business._ My revolver, along with the contents of my pockets was spread out on a nearby table. They must have searched me before tying me up.

"(It is a most unfortunate thing you walked in that night, Mr. Winchester.)" The voice came from somewhere in the shadows, an unseen presence hidden within its protection. It was dark, enough that even with my enhanced vision, I couldn't pinpoint its location.

"Unfortunate for you or me?" My witty reply only resulted in another punch to the stomach.

"(Do not think that you will be walking away from this so easily, you made a grave error in playing that night.)" _So Vermoune IS up to something…or was my torturer hired by one of the other two?_ Before I could ponder this further, the Sneasel ran her claws across my cheek lightly, just hard enough to pierce the skin. She traced a line down one cheek, under my throat and up the other cheek; leaving three fine cuts behind. Now, despite what you might think; this hurt a helluva lot more than if she had dug in deeper. The wound was made to expose the nerves to the air; leaving a horrible burning sensation in its wake. If left alone, it could cause the victim to go mad from the sensation eventually, but something tells me that they have other plans in mind.

"If you're going to kill me, just get it over with; I have better things to do." The voice growled quietly, causing the Sneasel to lash out; striking my chest in a diagonal fashion, tearing my coat and shirt to ribbons. I almost lost it there, but maybe my torturer would slip up a bit of information if I waited.

"(Your attitude needs a bit of adjustment, Mr. Winchester, and they're just the ones to do it.)" The human walked into the shadows, leaving me to dance with the Sneasel. She gave me a toothy grin as she leapt at me; claws extended. Too bad she didn't see the punch coming until it was too late; being what I am has its advantages, I'll have you know. My fist connected with a crack of shadowy energy, sending the surprised weasel to the floor. With all the grace of her species, the Sneasel caught herself mid fall; springing backward and landing in a perfect attack position.

Not waiting for her to make the next move, I sprang up from the chair, charging a tennis ball sized sphere of shadow energy in my left hand; hurling it toward where she was crouched. Naturally the ice Weasel dodged the shot, but I anticipated that. When the black sphere struck, it sent out a shockwave of energy; coating the room in a blast of charged energy and momentarily blinding the Sneasel.

I used that moment to charge forward, grabbing my revolver from a nearby table and firing two shots; one directed at the Sneasel, the other at the human. Mind you, due to what I am my bullets aren't really physical objects; by focusing a bit of my power through the weapon, it fires condensed 'bullets' of shadow energy instead of lead ones; effectively making it a high powered extension of myself. Each shot acts like a miniature explosive; releasing the energy in a small burst capable of punching a hole straight through a half-inch thick sheet of steel. Never used it on a living target before though, so this was new to me.

The first shot missed by inches, but the second was dead on. The man let out a cry of pain as the shadow energy bored into his chest; piercing just below his heart and detonating as if it was a c4 charge. I watched in horror as his chest erupted in a spray of blood, bone and organs. He slumped forward, clutching futilely at the gaping hole in his chest, blood bubbling slowly from his lips, silently saying his final words before the shock caused his brain to shut down. His body collapsed into the ever-growing pool of blood, what remained of his organs oozing out onto the blood stained floor.

The Sneasel stood there, stunned by its master's sudden demise; giving me a chance to smash the barrel of my gun on its head; knocking it out cold. I took a moment after that to fix my composure; even after twenty years on the force, death still has some effect on me. It felt like someone had thrown a bucket of ice water over me, the numbness slowly weaving its way through my body; leaving behind a feeling of emptiness.

"Care to make more threats on my life?" Death itself doesn't bother me; I do not fear what the other side has for me. But being the cause of death is another thing entirely.

"Well done, Mr. Winchester; I would have expected no less from you." _Was whoever was in the shadows taunting me? _Something about this situation wasn't right, and I don't mean being tied to a chair and tortured. Suddenly a sharp pain hit me; like someone was driving a metal spike through my skull. I screamed out in pain, clutching my head and falling to my knees. "But in the end, you still lose." The pain intensified, like my head was about to implode.

"I'm…stronger than you think…I will…beat you…" I mustered up what little energy I had left, forcing all of it against the force now assaulting me. My pulse was pounding in my ears, drowning out his taunts. Slowly, slowly I forced it back; the latent shadow energy within me forcing back the mental assault. I was dimly aware of the velvety strands of energy emanating from my body, but I was starting to lose. I could feel the pain creeping back, threatening to shatter my skull from the inside out.

"You…will fail…just like you failed…the girl…" That did it. With a pained shout I forced every ounce of my strength into the counter assault; repelling the unseen attacker and sending his own attack back at him; but at a heavy price. My left eye fractured, sending a spray of glittering shards outward…

O0o0o0o0o0o0

I paused for a moment, _something isn't right here…_

"Something wrong, detective?" 'Good cop' stared at me, which I ignored.

"No, it's nothing."

"Then continue."

o0o0o0o0o0o0

The pain was nearly as intense as the mental assault before it; like being struck in the face by a sledgehammer. _Why the hell did this have to happen?_ I could barely hear the satisfying scream of pain over my own ordeal, though just knowing my attacker was suffering helped a bit. After the pain subsided a bit, I picked up my revolver and, half blind walked toward where I thought the voice had been coming from.

"I'll give you five seconds before I start shooting; and this time, I won't miss…"

o0o0o0o0o0o0

I paused again. _What DID happen after that?_ "All I remember is walking out of there, and then I was here."

"That's it?" I stared at 'bad cop'…more accurately, at his cufflinks. Now I know where I'd seen them before; they're just like the ones Giovanni was wearing. _Your first mistake._

"That's it, though something doesn't add up." I stood up slowly, taking a fresh Cigarette from the carton and snapping it in half; sniffing the tobacco. Nothing, no smell. _Second mistake._

"Not your brand?" 'Good cop stood up as well, pulling another carton from his pocket. _Time to play my hand_.

"No, I doubt that one is either; seeing as this isn't real." Both men stared at me blankly, so I continued. "That's why I don't remember how I returned here; I never left that room. This entire thing is just a mind game conjured by that voice in the shadow."

Before either of them could react, I leapt across the table; grabbing the bigger man by the shirt and smashing his face down hard. Before the skinny one could even blink, I snapped the first mans neck and lunged at him; delivering a punch right to his left eye. He went out like a light; _pansy_.

"I've seen thorough your little mind game, now show yourself!" It there's one thing I hate, it's being manipulated.

"I was hoping you would see through this simple trapping; humans these days are just so easy to trick, it's been getting boring." The voice had changed; the male gruffness was replaced d by an almost musical feminine playfulness. This was all just a game to whoever was behind this illusion, and I didn't like it one bit.

"Face me like a man, coward." Doubtful that would work, but might as well try.

"Why would I face you as something that I am not?" I debated firing a few rounds off blindly, but seeing as I don't even know if the voice is in the same room as me, that would probably prove pointless; and I'll need all the strength I can muster to get out of this one. "But you seem like a worthy foe, so I shall grant you the honor of seeing your killer." The voice still had that playful tone to it, like I was just a toy.

"It's nice to know you hold such a high opinion of me." I took a few deep breaths, letting the natural shadow energy within my body flow evenly.

"Too bad, in other circumstances we may have made an excellent team." The room began to fade, colors washed out to shades of gray and black as whatever foul magic it was spawned from was drained away. As the scene faded, so did part of my vision; whatever created that illusion also maintained the sight for my cracked eye. Within seconds, the interrogation room had faded, replaced by the same darkened one I had been tortured in; only this time, there was another presence. Once my eye adjusted to the low light, I saw my opponent; _God, why does it always have to be Pokèmon?_

"Surprised?" The form of a sleek Ninetails materialized out of the gloom, her silvery fur glinting in the dim room. Each of her nine tails waved slowly, as if blowing in the breeze. Then there were her eyes, ruby red with a touch of black; like portals into the delinquent mind behind them. Too bad she's such an evil bitch, she would have made a good partner; now all she's good for is a fur coat, far as I'm concerned.

"Not in the least, only a Ninetails could pull off the type of mind games you have; too bad they didn't work." She simply gave me a mischievous look, one I didn't like.

"Who said it didn't work?" Something was wrong; she wasn't bothered in the least about me seeing through her trap…unless there was a trap within a trap…

"You honestly think that I would let a mortal see through one of my tricks so easily?" Her smile broadened, becoming more feral. "No, it was intended only to distract you for a while."

"From what?" I kept my eye on her, kneeling slowly to retrieve my revolver.

"I'm afraid that you will not be around long enough for that to matter, Winchester." Just a few more inches… just as my hand closed around the weapon, that Ninetails bitch breathed out a coiling trail of fire; giving me only a few seconds to roll out of the way. The flames missed me by inches; I felt the heat licking at my skin as it passed. I took aim while still on my back; firing off a wild shot, succeeding in blowing a hole in the wall, but nothing further.

_Slippery devil. _I rolled again as a shadowy lump of energy flew toward me. The floor where I had previously been erupted in a shower of splinters from the impact.

"Give it up, I've lived over one hundred years; something even a creature like you could never accomplish." I ignored her taunt, summoning another shadow ball in my free hand and hurling it at where the voice came from. A pained yelp told me that my shot hit home, but by the time I lined up my revolver, she was gone again.

"Tricks and illusions won't save you, give it up and come quietly." The only response I got was a stream of crimson flame snaking along the floorboards toward me. I stayed still, watching the pattern intently; one false move and it would all be over. Closer, closer the thin trails came; shattering into a trio of flames and zigzagging as if guided by an unseen force. With one fluid motion, I fired three shots just ahead of the fires; shattering the floorboards in front of them and stopping them cold.

"Two shots left, not wise." Her voice had lost its playfulness, becoming more of a growl. I smiled inwardly; _things were getting interesting_. I stood up quickly, dodging a Confuse ray that whistled past my right ear; returning the favor with another shot, further damaging the wall.

"All I need is one; right between the eyes." Not exactly the most interesting of taunts, but it did the trick. Her patience had finally worn out, leaping from the shadows and facing me head on.

"I highly doubt you have the skill or the courage to kill me; I have defeated many stronger than you." Her voice changed again, this time there was a note of doubt in it; guess she didn't quite realize what I am.

"On the contrary, I am much more than you think." In the split second she hesitated, I charged; delivering a strong kick to her chest. The blow knocked her to the floor, but before I could finish her off she was gone again; hiding in the shadows.

"My assumption was correct, you are a worthy foe." It came from…behind! I wheeled around and fired a single shot, the bullet only striking wood again. I pretended to be out of ammo, lowering my gun and cupping the magazine in one hand.

"A fool's mistake." Her voice rang out, coming closer with each word. "You should have been more careful with your ammo." _Closer…_

"What now, are you going to kill me?"

"Of course, you know too much and have seen my face; but rest assured, you were the most worthy foe I've had in over 50 years." I waited until her silvery form slipped from the shadows; guess she wants to see her toy die up close.

"The same to you, though it has been over 100 for me." she hesitated for a moment; _perfect_.

"Nevertheless, all good things must come to an end." She stood there, a pale gray light forming around her; I watched carefully, timing was everything after all. The glow became stronger, enough so that I had trouble even seeing her form beneath it. _A few more seconds…_ a bolt of blue energy shot forward; I crouched just in time for it to sail over me. By the angle, it would have struck me dead in the chest. While she was still recovering, I stood up and lowered the barrel of my revolver just above her forehead, aiming in-between her eyes.

"Endgame." I pulled the trigger, wincing slightly as my guns report rang out in the quiet room. The shadow bullet tore through her skull; shattering bone and spraying a copious amount of blood and brain matter outward. The blast ripped a hole through her mouth, spraying blood onto her chest. The Ninetails just stood there for a second, mouth moving silently as the shock hit. With a thud, her lifeless body collapsed into a rapidly forming pool of her own blood with a wet, squishing sound.

What was once beautiful in life now stood as a mockery; silver fur now stained a bright red, bright red eyes staring lifelessly at me, as if asking why. I felt a pang of guild on top of the numbness; a part of me felt bad that she had to die. But, she left me no choice.

I walked over to the table, gathering my things and preparing to leave when I heard an odd sound. The Sneasel I had knocked out was coming to, she hadn't witnessed anything but she may know who hired them. In a quick motion, I walked over and pistol whipped her on the neck, rendering her unconscious again. After gathering up her crumpled body, I made my way to the far end of the room; groping along the wall looking for an exit. After locating a door, I exited this place of death; leaving only the two bodies as silent witnesses to my presence ever being here.


	3. Part 3

o0o0o0o0o0o0

The first rays of light were creeping over the city by the time I made it back to my office; _guess that bitch kept me there for some time_. When I got to my floor, I noticed that the lights were out; not really surprising by how cheap the manager is, but still odd. I made my way slowly down the empty corridor, once again thankful for my enhanced night vision. Just to be sure, I pulled out my revolver, placing the Sneasel down against the wall before leaning around the corner; finding nothing but an empty hallway and a bit of glass on the floor near my office, door slightly ajar.

Someone had broken in while I was indisposed of, probably looking for any evidence I had found. I crept along the near wall, pressing myself flat to minimize the sound. After what felt like an eternity, I reached the door, opening it slowly and looking around the edge like before. The place was a mess; desk overturned, file cabinets hanging open; their contents spread across the floor. Someone had ransacked the place with a vengeance.

"Great, now I have THIS to deal with." It really didn't matter if I shouted; whoever broke in was long gone, and I was the only tenant on this floor. I gave the door a swift kick to vent my frustration. I was about to leave when I noticed that my unwelcome visitor had left something behind; a small silver cufflink. I picked it up, placing the small bit trinket in my coat pocket before walking back and retrieving my captive.

With my office compromised, I had to hole up in a run down motel for a bit; would have used my apartment, but no doubt whoever was after me would have expected that. I probably should have checked for further evidence, but something at the back of my mind warned me the place was trapped; and it's never been wrong before.

Once that Sneasel woke up, she was not happy to be stuck in a dingy room with me; not like she had a choice in the matter though. For the first few hours, she chose to sit quietly on the lone bed, refusing to speak. During that time, I left the room several times to pick up supplies; every time I came back, she was still sitting there, even though she could have made a break for it out the window. Every time, she would just stare at me for a moment, as if looking through me before continuing to stare at the wall.

A few days passed in this manner; she refused to eat, choosing to sit there, staring. That changed on the forth day. I was chewing my way through a stale sandwich, drowning out the slightly moldy taste with a few shots of whiskey when she spoke.

"Why did you do it?" I set my shot glass down slowly, turning to face the source of the voice. The Sneasel had moved from the bed, now standing next to the rickety nightstand; icy blue eyes locked onto mine.

"Why did I do what?" despite being a natural born killer, her attitude was of someone who was cornered, appraising her attacker seconds before lashing out desperately.

"Why did you spare me? Why did you kill my master and leave me alive?" Beneath that black fur was something more…more than just a killer, more than just a mere tool…she wasn't a part of this game willingly.

"My first shot missed, and I don't kill in cold blood." She continued to stare, as if searching for an answer within my remaining eye. I returned the gaze, watching for even the slightest bit of movement. she remained perfectly still for a few moments longer, then suddenly dropped to all fours and looked at the carpet.

"Then my life is yours to command." The flatness in her voice was eerie; to say such a thing without emotion is unnatural. I calmly poured another shot, downing the liquid before replying.

"You owe me nothing." She trembled a bit as I spoke those words, probably thinking I was going to torture her or finish the job now. "One's life is theirs to dictate, not place into another's hands simply because they spared you."

The Sneasel looked up slowly, once again locking eyes with mine. Whatever she was looking for, she must have found because without another word the Sneasel was on her hind legs again; her expression softening slightly.

"There's such depth to you, much more than appears on the surface." The edge of her lip curled upward a bit, breaking into a faint smile. "It's too bad we had to meet under such circumstances." Though she tried to keep her voice flat, a bit of emotion slipped by her icy lips, one that made me feel a bit uneasy.

"If you truly feel you owe me, then let's make a deal." She gave me another calculating look before nodding slowly. "You tell me everything you know about your employer, and I will tell you something you wish to know." She looked down for a moment, placing a paw on her lip in thought. Not like I blame her; I was asking her to divulge very dangerous secrets to someone who had tried to kill her. Abruptly she looked back up, giving me a wry smirk.

"Should have figured the legendary detective Winchester would see right through me." she sat down on the floor, never breaking eye contact with me. Figuring on this taking a bit, I gathered up the bottle and a pack of cigarettes and sat down facing her.

"Care for some?" I offered her a clean shot glass, which she declined.

"Never took up drinking, but I would care for a smoke." I gave her a funny look, but nonetheless offered her the pack. She accepted it politely, gingerly extracting a single cigarette with the ends of her claws. I was about to offer her a light, but she beat me to the punch by sucking on the end for a moment before switching ends and smashing her claws together a few times. It seemed strange at first, but when the tip caught, I realized what she had done. _Hmm…well, that's one way to use Toxic._

"Heh, never met a Pokèmon that smoked before." The Sneasel took a long drag, blowing the smoke out her nose before calmly replying.

"And I've never met a human that could understand the Pokèmon language." She has a point, one that I didn't expect.

"Touché." I poured myself another shot as she relaxed slightly, leaning against the dingy sheet and taking another long drag. We sat in silence for a bit, letting the drugs wind through out bodies and take effect before starting.

"Fraid there's not much I can tell you; I never saw who hired us, only heard him shouting at my former master. One thing did stand out though; every so often I heard a second voice…" She trailed off for a moment, looking at the ceiling for inspiration before continuing. "Yeah…it stood out because it sounded like a Zangoose…only more pronounced, as if it was speaking a human language." She trailed off again, giving me time to ask a quick question.

"Is there anything specific you can recall from those conversations?"

"Bits and pieces; most of it was about how incompetent he was and quite brutal threats. The voice did mention something about the Lucky Spinda, but I didn't catch all of it." _So, the casino IS involved, interesting._ "Most of the time I was locked up though, so that's about all I heard."

"Well, it does shed some light on things, and brings yet another player into this game."

"Right, right…" Guess it's my turn for some information.

"Well, you kept your end of the bargain, now I shall keep mine." She snapped back to attention, giving me an odd look before smiling for the first time.

"You like living dangerously, don't you?" _Funny question to ask._ It was my turn to think for a moment, the awkward silence seemed to stretch on for hours; broken only by the clink of glass on glass as I poured myself another shot.

"Well, once you've been alive as long as me, you start taking more chances." She just stared like I said I was the president, so I continued. "How old would you say I am?"

"Besides the morphic features and the cracked eye…I'd say no older than 25." I laughed quietly to myself, haven't heard that number in a while; guess she's buttering me up.

"Not even close." She gave me a puzzled look, so I elaborated. "Last count, I was nearing the 200 mark." The Sneasel coughed when I said that, choking out a few puffs of smoke.

"What? How the hell is that possible?"

"Ever heard the legends about Ninetails having freaky magical powers and the like?" she gave me a blank look, so I assumed no. "Well, I'm living proof of it; damn thing was teamed up with an outlaw I was chasing. My partner and I had them cornered in a box canyon."

"Wait, how long ago did this happen?"

"I think…it was late 1837, out in the deserts of present day America. My partner was a Sableye, we were known as the one shot sheriffs. Back then; the only law obeyed was the one we dealt out. I miss those days, answering to no one, having the authority to shoot outlaws and lawbreakers without trial. Justice itself was a quick hand and a loaded revolver. But that day changed everything…"

I took another shot, not really tasting the liquor as I continued. "As I said, my partner and I had chased the duo into a box canyon; both were wanted on several counts of arson and murder. The human went down no trouble; my partner blew him clean in half before either of us noticed the Ninetails starting chanting in a weird voice. Would have shot her, but the bitch launched this multi-colored beam at me. Would have been a dead man if my partner hadn't leapt in the way; brave bastard took the curse full blast. Guess that Ninetails didn't see that coming, because her curse fused us; bringing me into existence. Mind you, I turned her into a rug for it, but my life was changed forever. Gone were the days of roaming the endless deserts in search of outlaws; now I was on the run myself. In the end, that bitch had won; sure she was dead, but I was living proof of her power." Once my story was finished, I took another shot; a futile attempt to drown out some very unpleasant memories, sure. But it was the only thing that kept them at bay.

"So…you're nearly 200 years old, and working as a flatfoot?"

"Pretty much." She just stared at me, probably trying to figure out if I had lost my mind or not.

"Well, it beats being used like a tool. At least now I have a nice master." I scowled at that, I told her she doesn't owe me anything.

"I'm not your master."

"Yes you are, you killed my former master and spared my life; that means I am now at your command…master"

"If that's the case, then call me Winchester."

"Okay, master Winchester." _I swear she's doing it on purpose._

"Fine; but stop calling me master, I hate that term."

"Why master Winchester?" I resisted the urge to deck her on the spot for that; I cannot STAND that term being applied to Pokèmon.

"The term master has been used for too long as a way to demean Pokèmon. It's something I've come to-" I paused, for a moment it felt like we were being watched…

"Something wrong?" I said nothing, instead just gesturing with one hand while gripping my revolver with the other. _She was smart, I'll give her that_; instead of arguing, she crouched low, waiting for directions. I couldn't be sure about that feeling, but I'll be damned if it's ever lead me astray before now.

I stood up slowly, trying my best to look casual while keeping a firm grip on my weapon. The dull lamp above the motel door didn't have much effect on the gloom outside; its sickly yellow glow only served to strengthen the darkness it tried to dispel. With careful motions, I stopped by the window, casually parting the curtain and taking a look outside. Nothing but blackness and the shadowy outline of the trees stared back…wait, there's something else…

I stood perfectly still, trying to make out the shape. That same feeling at the back of my mind told me that whatever it was, it must be the shadow king in this lethal chess game. I moved slowly toward the door, never shifting my gaze from the figure. The seconds crept by; I barely breathed as I watched, waiting for the right moment. Without moving any other part of me, I gently undid the deadbolt and lock on the door; still watching the shadowy figure.

"What are you waiting for?" I glanced down for a brief moment, confirming that the Sneasel had crawled over and was waiting right next to me. At that moment, the shadow moved; streaking off deeper into the forest. In a blur, I wrenched the door open and withdrew my revolver; bringing it to bear in my free hand and moving swiftly to the doorway. the Sneasel had enough sense to move just ahead of me; narrowly weaving between my legs as I ran into the night air, firing off a trio of shots into the darkness; the report of my gun echoing in the still air. The shadow bullets vanished into the woods, connecting only with the trees; the sound of splintering wood mixing with the echoes of the shots.

"Great, just great." I replaced my revolver in its holster, running my free hand across my face in exasperation. "Someone or something now knows we're here." 

"Is that a bad thing aniki?" I turned and glared at her, still she insisted on giving me a title. "Hey, I can't call you by your first name, so it's either that or master; your choice." I sighed in defeat; there was no reasoning with her.

"In that case, do you have a name?" the Sneasel gave me a funny look, one that I returned.

"My former master called me slave or filth, but my real name is Saracos." _Hmph, odd name. Must be from another country._

"That'll work for me, come on Saracos."

"Where to aniki?" _Where to indeed_. Staying here would be stupid; whoever or whatever that was will be back. It's too late to find another motel nearby, which leaves only going back to my booby-trapped office. Crap.

"Well…time to head back and clear out my office; whoever that was will probably be expecting it, but the place is easier to set up an ambush in." that is, IF we survive removing whatever trap or traps were set there. Oh well, my new partner should come in handy_…unless…nah, she's being honest; I'm sure of it. _

o0o0o0o0o0o0

We used the cover of night to avoid being seen; I felt oddly at peace in the darkened city, like a part of me had been craving this. There was something about moving quickly through pools of shadow, only emerging under the dull glow of a streetlamp for a few seconds before vanishing again that got my blood pumping. My new partner seemed to feel it too; the entire time we were running, her mood kept getting brighter. Something about her reminds me of the old days…the good parts of them that is. Back when we would spend days on end out in the badlands, tracking one outlaw or another. So many times we used the cover of night to stage our attack…_good times_.

It took the better part of an hour, but we made it to that dingy building I call home. Judging by the fact that it's still intact, either there wasn't a trap in my office or no-one's gone up there yet. Well, only one way to find out. With only a moment of hesitation, my new partner and I looked at each other, shrugged and went inside the building.

Lucky for us, the place was even emptier than normal; guess whoever broke in did a good job of scaring the few remaining tenants off. The sound of shoes and paws against hardwood echoed through the empty corridors, reverberating off the walls and adding to the general sense of gloom that hung in the air. Rattata darted for their holes because of the sudden sound, their small bodies casting long shadows in the silvery moonlight. With each floor, the gloom intensified; as if hanging over my office like a dark cloud.

The floor was completely still, not even the vermin dared enter here; never a good sign. We made out way slowly down the hall; I kept casting quick glances over my shoulder to make sure we weren't followed. We walked in silence, though every so often Saracos shot me a nervous glance before refocusing on the inky darkness ahead of us. When the spray of broken glass came into view, we stopped for a moment. It would be foolish to simply run in and get blown apart.

"Any ideas?" Saracos just looked up and smirked, _what is she planning_? Before I could ask what the look was about, she dropped to all fours and dashed down the hall. I nearly shouted for her to stop, but the words caught in my throat. Probably for the best, seeing as I doubt she'd listen anyway. I chose instead to watch and wait, staying alert for the explosion.

Saracos ran silently, nimbly picking her way through the glass at a walk when she realized I wasn't stopping her. She turned and gave me that same look before entering. A few seconds later I heard the telltale bang of an explosive going off followed by an intense flash. I looked down, shaking my head slowly. _Why did she have to go and get her fool self killed?_

"Hey, are you coming or not?" I looked up quickly, quite surprised to see that she was still alive.

"Yeah, just a second." _Was the trap a fake?_ I just shrugged and walked over, the only way to figure this out is by taking it head on. Strangely enough, the feeling of gloom was already lifting. Must be the knowing that my office is relatively safe, or something like that. Either way, it's a nice change from the grimness of the last few days.

The crunch of glass underfoot was oddly soothing, though irritating at the same time. Now I have to invest in a new window, but that can come later. _For now, time to face my office_.

_God, I hate it when cases hit home_. Whoever ransacked the place did a good job. Not only did they trash it, they stole the only clue I had; a typed letter from the killer. It wasn't a total loss though; the bottle of scotch I hid under a loose floorboard was untouched. After an hour of work, the place was back to its original look, minus a cabinet that had a large hole torn in its side. Not a big loss really, just annoying. With everything back in order, I took a shot from my liquor and relaxed.

"Just what the hell were you thinking?" I kept my voice even, determined not to show too much irritation just yet.

"My life means nothing, I live now only to serve and protect you, aniki." She too kept an even voice, though I did catch a faint note of sadness, like she didn't really want it to be that way.

"So you would risk getting blown to pieces just because I spared your life?"

"In a word, yes; it is the law that I was trained to follow." Still no emotion, like that view was as natural as breathing to her.

"Well, if you truly wish to follow me, then we need to set a few ground rules." Saracos simply nodded and waited for me to continue. _Now, how to word this so she won't argue it…_

"Okay…first off; no throwing yourself into suicidal situations, I don't need another death on my conscience." _THAT was the truth; the scars that Ninetails left still haven't healed… _

"But aniki-" Saracos tried to argue, but I anticipated it and cut her off.

"But nothing. Owing me your life and killing yourself are two different things." She started to argue, but stopped; leaving her mouth hanging open for a second in silent protest. _Good, she swallowed that one, now the other problem… _

"I get the feeling you're following me blindly for more than one reason. What ARE your hidden motives?" Not that I expect her to say anything, it's more to test her honesty. If she's a spy, she'll likely come up with some quick cover to throw me off the trail.

"How to put this bluntly…" Saracos looked down, tapping the desk slowly, deep in thought. When she looked up again, she gave me that same funny look before saying in a slightly cheerful voice "I find you kinda cute, for a half-human that is." I said nothing, instead taking another shot while that sunk in. _…okay, that was unexpected._

"Any particular reason?" Something about how she said it leads me to believe her. No one in their right mind would use such a strange excuse to cover up any suspicion.

"Not really, I can't explain it very well…just something about you appeals to me." maybe it's the part of me that's a dark type, nothing else really would make sense.

"Just don't let it interfere with your judgment." Better to just smooth over it then ask more questions, I'm sure the answers would not be good.

"As you wish, aniki." Man, I'll never quite get used to being called that. _For that matter, what the hell does aniki mean? _

"Good, now we can get down to the hard stuff…"

o0o0o0o0o0o0

After my recent…incident with that Ninetails, the number of attacks increased. Guess surviving that trap had sent the assassin into a panic. Now, not a single night went by without another body ending up in the morgue by morning. Every time they dragged a fresh corpse in, I cringed. No matter what leads we followed, they all ended up in dead ends. It was like we were being used like chess pieces; guided along the board at the whim of an unseen hand, and I hated that feeling. More than once our leads lead to the lucky Spinda casino, but nothing conclusive could be linked to it.

That rookie was also chasing down leads, though for a different reason. He was driven by the promise of promotion, while I needed closure. For some reason, that girl keeps haunting my thoughts. Nagging at my subconscious like some ghost, blaming me for her death. In a way it was true. I hadn't tried to stop her that night, and she died because of it…

The only good thing happening with the case is that every murder was still connected, though there was still no smoking gun.

Just when there seemed to be no end to it, the murders stopped. At first it seemed like it was a fluke, but once a week had passed it felt like it was over.

Normally I would have been glad; bodies piling up in the morgue with no face to go with them only mean long nights and more trips to the liquor store. But this time, something nagged at the back of my mind. It just didn't make sense…all the victims had some connection with each other, except the girl. Just knowing that whatever foul creature took her life was still out there, possibly stalking its next prey…

"Aniki, are you all right?"

"Yeah, just thinking."

"Still worried the murders are going to start again?"

"Yeah…"

"It's over. Whatever was doing it either gave up or was killed itself by now, it's been a week."

"If only I could believe that…" I leaned back in my chair, listening to the traffic go by far below. The sudden sharp tone of the phone nearly caused me to fall back. Luckily I caught myself before that happened. By the third ring, I picked it up and answered. My blood froze when I heard the recorded message…another murder. As the flat voice continued, something stirred within me; a newfound hatred for whatever was behind those foul deaths. Once it finished, I replaced the receiver slowly; not trusting myself to be calm about it otherwise.

"Bad news?" It took a moment for her voice to register; my pulse was pounding hard against my ears. Killing civilians is bad enough, but targeting an officer…that is unforgivable!

"Damn right bad news; whatever killed those other victims just attacked the investigating officer. That…thing just crossed the line!" without really thinking, I put on my shades, grabbed my revolver from a desk drawer and got up to leave.

"Aniki, wait for me!"

o0o0o0o0o0o0

I stormed into the precinct, ignoring the greeting the front desk clerk gave me and the odd looks Saracos earned. What few officers were on duty stayed clear of us, probably afraid to ask why I was so angry. I stopped only once to confirm that the body along with everything found at the scene was being examined. When the smell of formaldehyde hit my nose I sped up, driven by a long forgotten desire for revenge.

"Hey Winchester what's-" Doc started into his usual greeting, but stopped when I slammed my palms onto the edge of his makeshift desk.

"I need everything the kid was working on!" Doc just stared at me blankly, so I made myself a little clearer. Rather than do something stupid like blurt out a threat, I let his natural abilities do it for me. That way, there's only his word against mine.

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about, so cut the crap of you'll find out just how serious I am." I stood there, purposely dropping my mental defenses and daring him to invade my mind. When a faint tingle washed over me I sprung my trap, forcing his search to where I wanted it. Our two minds waged war, both sides struggling for dominance in a silent battle of will.

"Aniki?" I barely heard her; most of my brain was devoted to forcing Doc toward what I wanted him to see. I could feel my skull vibrating slightly from the force of his mind crushing down on mine, but I held my ground. It felt like an unseen force was trying to crush my body into nothing. It doesn't help either that I was staring directly at the source of that feeling.

The mental war does take its toll on you, win or lose. It leaves behind a bit of psionic backlash that over time could lead to severe brain damage. Psychics and other Pokèmon are immune to the effects, but a normal human cannot take more than a few without some risk of insanity. Good thing I'm no ordinary human, though. Back and forth the battle swung, more than once I came close to losing. But in the end, my dark type resistance tipped the balance in my favor.

"Fine, you win." Doc glared at me before tossing a small tag onto the desk. "Here's your bloody evidence." I just nodded, picking up the scrap of paper and turning, a confused Saracos trailing behind me.

o0o0o0o0o0o0

"What was all that about aniki?" I ignored her the first time, staring straight ahead, lost in thought. She persisted, staring at me with those blue eyes until I spoke.

"Doc and I usually give each other a hard time before getting down to business, but this case is too serious for games. I simply beat him at his own game, something he doesn't like very much, as I'm sure you noticed." She nodded slowly, so I continued. "Whatever was committing those other murders just made a big mistake." Saracos mumbled something under her breath, all I caught was 'could it be him', but that was enough.

"Is there something you didn't tell me?" I stopped, leaning down on one knee to speak on her level. Saracos kept mumbling quietly, shaking her head a few times before staring directly into my eyes.

"I didn't remember until now, but there was one instance that another human was there. I only remember it because of that huge black dog that stood by him." Her voice stayed even, though I could see the look of failure in her eyes. "Something about it was…evil. And not just in the normal sense some dark types seem to radiate. No, whatever that…thing was, it couldn't have been natural." As she spoke, the look in her eyes changed from failure to fear. Something I never would have expected from her.

"All the more reason that it must be stopped." I stood up and turned back toward our destination, a new sense of urgency driving me forward.

o0o0o0o0o0o0

The evidence room had a stale smell, probably because of the musty boxes stacked around the room. A single dim bulb hung overhead, doing little more than creating pockets of shadow around the room. I could smell the dust hanging in the air, like an attic that's been sealed up for a long time. They haven't cleared out this place in over thirty years, and I can attest to that. The only sign of life was an aging man sitting behind a desk, quietly reading over a logbook.

Wordlessly, I tossed the tag Doc had given me onto the man's book. He picked it up without even acknowledging our presence, swiveling in his chair and walking into the back. Saracos and I waited in silence, looking around slowly for anything suspicious. I relaxed slightly when the thin frame of the archivist reappeared out of the gloom, carrying a small box in front of him.

He set down the box on the edge of his desk, right next to an archaic typewriter. Without saying a word, he sat down and went right back to his reading. It did annoy me a bit that he barely acknowledged our presence, but at the same time it was nice. _One less link in the chain. _I carefully removed the seal, pulling the lid off and peering into the box's contents.

"This is it?" All that there was inside was a set of keys, a badge, a pistol and a flat wallet. The aging clerk nodded slowly. Figures, cop gets killed and the assailant strips all…evidence from the body. _So, these can't be random attacks._

The only thing interesting was the wallet. Judging by how flat it was, anything that could have been evidence was already stripped from it. I picked it up anyway, opening it and inspecting what contents were left. My assumption was correct; the only thing left inside of it was a plastic key card with the number 22 marked in black ink on its surface where a picture ID normally goes. I was about to dump it back into the box when that nagging feeling made me stop. On instinct, I pulled the card out, knocking loose a scrap of paper with it. Saracos thankfully caught it before the clerk could notice, which was a relief. Judging by the fact that it was still hidden, whoever had gone over the evidence before had obviously overlooked it. She discreetly handed it to me while I made a show of examining the card.

I took another chance by palming the card, just in case it was important. The clerk didn't seem to notice, though he could have died without either of us knowing. The only thing he did was adjust his silver rimmed glasses and turn a page on his book.

We left the storage room quietly; the place gave me the creeps. Just something about murder weapons, personal effects, and other stuff that was involved in who knows how many cases bothers me. Once we were a suitable distance away from there, I pulled the scrap of paper out of my pocket. The only thing on it was an address. 258 West Peona. _That was only a few blocks from the lucky Spinda casino…suspicious…then this card key must be to a hotel room or something._ It was a bit strange that whoever went through and stole his ID and other effects would leave that behind, unless it was made to look like a mugging or something. But why go to the trouble when the lethal attack matched the serial killings?

"Aniki?" I shook those thoughts off, knowing that if it was a trap we could handle it just fine.

"Well, looks like we finally got a break in this case." Saracos nodded slowly, guess she now knows how strong my drive to solve this case is.

o0o0o0o0o0o0

We holed up in my office until night fell, taking the last hours of daylight to prepare ourselves both physically and mentally for whatever may happen. We also took the time to talk. I wasn't about to risk Saracos getting herself killed just because I was her aniki. That and something about her had changed. She wasn't always so dead serious about things. More than once she smiled, even though it looked more like a feral grimace. And once, she even laughed; true most of the time she was moody and reserved, but beneath that sense of duty lay something warm. It is too bad we met under such dark circumstances, but nothing can be done about that. We can only move forward and hope to see the light of tomorrow.

Once the sun sank beneath the horizon, Saracos and I made our final preparations before heading out to our certain doom.

"You ready for this?" Saracos just leaned against the desk, pausing to light a cigarette before answering.

"Death is not to be feared, it is inevitable." _Yeah, tell that to the Ninetails that cursed me. _"Fearing something just makes it that much harder to face."

"More of your 'your life is to serve' philosophy?"

"No, that is a simple truth."

"But why does it have to be that way? Why can't you hold of your own life?"

"Because my purpose is to serve you, aniki. And, if that results in my death, then it shall be." I just sighed in defeat. Still she saw herself as a servant.

"Just don't do something foolish because of it." She looked up slowly, fixing me with an emotionless stare. Staring into those icy blue eyes sent a chill through me, and not from fear. Her gaze reflected a complete devotion to her cause, and a lack of doubt about her purpose. At least if we were to die this night, it would be one hell of a battle.


	4. Part 4

o0o0o0o0o0o0

We used the back alleys and side streets to our advantage, sticking to the shadows for the most part. This time of night the streets are deserted, but the street lamps would give us away. It was a clear night; a full moon hung in the black sky, illuminating the city and creating enough shadow for us to sneak through unnoticed by anyone who may be watching. That same nagging feeling was gnawing at me, like we were walking into a trap or something. I ignored it at first, putting it off as just me being paranoid. That suspicion became reality when we rounded the last corner. A lone man wearing dark clothing was standing guard over the back entrance of the hotel.

I crept back into the shadow of a large dumpster, ignoring the horrid stench of rotting garbage. From my vantage point, the crimson R on his chest was quite obvious.

"How do we get past him without alerting any other guards?" I mumbled to myself, making sure not to be heard. As if in answer, Saracos leapt forward, one moment she was there, the next she was clinging to the brick wall behind the guard. Before I could even blink, she had grabbed his neck with one paw, using her other as a gag right before slitting his throat with her razor sharp claws. The man let out a muffled cry of pain as she tore through his windpipe, blood spraying from the three wounds her claws made. Saracos hung on as the guard sank to his knees, feebly grabbing at his attacker in an effort to dislodge her. Within seconds, his eyes rolled upward and he collapsed to the ground, dead. She stood up slowly, quietly licking the blood from her claws. Somehow, when I wasn't the cause death just didn't bother me.

Once she was content that all the blood was gone, I dragged the body over behind the dumpster and stripped him of all ID. With the evidence hidden, we were free to enter the building unnoticed. Now that it was obvious something was happening here, I made sure to have my revolver ready just in case. I took a moment to breathe, trying to slow my rapid heartbeat. Just something about knowing that death may await us behind that door scared me, and fear is a luxury that I cannot afford right now.

Using a key from the dead guard, we entered the building. The interior was dark, but since we both have good nightvision it wasn't a problem. From the entrance, we made our way through a narrow hallway. More than once, Saracos disposed of a guard or random human we ran into, always stopping to lick the blood off before continuing. If we survive this, I'm going to ask her why she does that.

Once, Saracos lost her grip and the guard she was attacking threw her off, but a swift knee to the gut was enough to silence him. Each time, I made sure to strip the guard of ID just in case, don't want unnecessary questions being asked later. The thought of some of them being innocent guests did cross my mind, but soon passed once I realized that Saracos would be careful not to kill innocents. By the time we made it to room 22, Saracos had already disposed of half a dozen guards.

The door didn't have any visible traps, which was a good sign. The door itself was made of solid wood; the number was painted on in silver. As for locks, all it had was a lever knob and slot for a key card.

"I say we storm in, take anyone inside by surprise." Mostly I was thinking out loud, but I knew Saracos was paying attention.

"Why not give them something to fear first, then burst in." _What was she thinking of doing? _

"Anything particular you have in mind?" The only response I got was a sly grin before she dropped to all fours. The temperature dropped rapidly as she breathed out a cloud of ice, aiming the frigid air under the door. I backed off a bit as a thin sheet of ice slowly spread across the doorframe, slowly creeping upward. By the time she stopped, a thin layer of fog had covered the floor. With one numb hand, I inserted the card, hearing the satisfying beep and click of its acceptance. I left the card in and turned the handle, keeping a firm grip on my weapon.

"Freeze, Police!" Yes, it was a bad joke, but it had to be said. Too bad the room was empty. I relaxed slightly, moving inward a bit and hugging the left wall. From where I was, the place looked deserted. A single bed stood unmade against the far wall. Closer to me was a small table with two chairs set up facing each other. Two glasses and a half finished bottle of wine sat frosting over on its surface. Someone had been here, but either left before we arrived or fled from the cold.

I holstered my weapon; it was unlikely anyone was still here. The only other thing that stuck out was a lone sheet of paper lying under one of the glasses. I motioned for Saracos to stand guard while I retrieved it. With each step forward, I heard the soft crunch of ice underfoot. _Damn, that little trick could come in handy later…if we survive that is. _After prying loose the glass and shaking a few loose crystals off, I read the typewritten note.

'I commend you on getting this far, but drop your investigation while you still can. If you insist on pursuing me further, then you'll end up just like the other detective…_' Hmph, now the killer thinks that a minor threat is going to stop me?_ I noted that the l's jumped on the type before crumpling it up and pitching the note. I was about to leave when something caught my eye. I leaned down, brushing away the ice and finding a small silver slot token…marked with a Spinda.

o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Time to bust some heads!" Saracos and I walked at a brisk pace; wanting to take advantage of what little darkness was left before sunrise. Ordering the assassination of rival businessmen is one thing, but to have your own daughter killed…that was inexcusable. Just the thought made my blood boil. Each step sent another wave of anger surging through my body. I no longer cared about bringing him in; given the chance I'll kill Mr. Vermoune myself.

"Aniki?" I didn't answer; my mind was focused solely on the image of that cold hearted bastard begging for mercy. I would just laugh, right before pulling the trigger at point blank. The thought of his chest exploding in a crimson wave, shattered bits of bone and copious amounts of blood spraying outward from the impact point sent a shiver through me. I could hear his final gasps of breath, blood dripping from his mouth…

"ANIKI!" I stopped; her high-pitched shout pierced the veil of hatred surrounding me, bringing me back to the real world. I looked down, my one-eyed gaze meeting hers. The look she gave me drove the bloodlust out instantly; a natural born killer fearing something should never be taken lightly. Those normally emotionless pale blue orbs now reflected such concern…even though she's only known me as her boss; it's as if she fears something happening to me. And not just in the protective sense…no, there's something more to it…something she said before… "Killing for revenge is pointless; it only leaves you with a hollow feeling." _I doubt her concern is that simple, but I still appreciate it. _

"It's just the thought of someone having their own daughter killed sickens me."

"I know aniki, and I want those responsible brought down too. But we can't lower ourselves to their level."

"Then how should we approach this situation, they obviously are expecting us." Saracos looked down for a moment, and then looked back up with a toothy grin.

"Then let's not disappoint them." _Great…now she's suicidal._ She does have a point, rushing in would be unexpected. It's just crazy enough to work.

"If we're destined to die today, then let's at least drag the assassin and his employer to hell with us." Suicidal in return, sure, but I'm tired of being lead along like some pawn; it's time to make one final stand. I know that Saracos is with me on that, seeing as she's already followed me this far. Putting my badge and even our lives on the line is a fair trade to put an end to these murders. With one final pause, we ran toward the casino, leaving our shadowy protection.

o0o0o0o0o0o0

By the time the neon sign came into view, the sun was just breaking through the haze. _Raid at dawn, fitting._ At this time of night all but the hardcore gamblers had gone home, meaning that it was unlikely for any witnesses to be around that would be paying any attention. We walked into the place unnoticed; most of the guards were either off duty or taking a break. The few that were around didn't pay us mind. Good thing it wasn't uncommon for a human to have a Pokèmon walking beside them around here.

It was a slight shock going from the darkened streets outside to the flashing lights and sounds of the interior, but not enough so to deter us. I pulled out my last pack of cigarettes with one hand and fished out my lighter with the other. I wasn't about to die just because of a nicotine craving. With one motion, I flicked the top open and lit both, handing one to Saracos, before pocketing the lighter. We took a few drags in the main room, ignoring the no smoking signs posted around.

From the main slot section we walked briskly toward the staircase, daring any guards on duty to try and stop us. None did, but a few gave us suspicious looks before resuming their slow sweep of the room. It was slightly disappointing, but good. I took a quick glance into the poker room, but it was unoccupied at the moment. This meant that either Mr. Vermoune wasn't here right now, or he was up in his office. And if my memory serves me right, that article said that he rarely left his casino for fear of cheaters slipping by. _A fools mistake leaving your whereabouts easily know, Mr. Vermoune._ The staircase was somewhat hidden, tucked behind a large marble pillar to disguise it from the general area.

The dull echo of us walking upward was easily drowned out by slots below. Each step hardened my resolve to make whoever was responsible pay dearly. I pocketed my shades to compensate for the change of light, and to add some shock value to our approaching entrance. Once I was certain no guards could see us, I pulled out my revolver and held it loosely at my side, letting the cold steel bump against my leg_. Cigarette in mouth and weapon in hand…just the way I want to go down._ Gaining a new partner is nice also, but it feels wrong to lead her toward death.

The upper floor was much different than I would have expected. Compared to the bright colors and flashy decorations, this place was extremely bland. Hardwood panels stained a deep brown made up the walls. Every so often, a single frame would break the monotony, though they did little to brighten the atmosphere. Every picture was of a dour looking man standing or sitting with other men and women; all of them dressed in formal attire. _Probably likes keeping photos of his business deals around._

Even the carped was dull; dark red with black lines. _Man, for a casino owner he sure doesn't have much imagination for decorating._ The room had only two doors, both were marked exactly what they were making our job that much simpler.

"Freeze out the security room, then we can take him out." Saracos nodded and walked silently to the door, already knowing what I had in mind. She crouched low, breathing that same cloud from the previous time under the door. A few muffled voices shouted out in alarm before the cold took effect. In less than a minute, the door was encased in a thin layer of ice, sealing in those unfortunate enough to be on duty in an icy tomb.

"Not quite what I had in mind, but it'll do." I waited for a wave of numbness to strike, but it never came. It didn't bother me that being the cause of two humans death that worried me, it was the lack of remorse I felt. It was like…I had transcended from being a normal detective to something more primal. _I wonder if the Ninetails curse is catching up with me after all these years? _

"Aniki, shall we proceed?" I paused, not sure if I should stop before doing something more; but that quickly passed.

"Yes, let's take this bastard down." She walked over to the left side of the door and I took right. The though of simply having Saracos freeze him did cross my mind, but I discarded it. One, I wanted him to see my face. And two, he might be just another link in the chain. That doesn't mean he's going to walk away without at least being frightened. I motioned for Saracos to back up a bit, pulled out my revolver, and fired.

The shadow bullet tore through the brass handle, sending shards of metal outward and tearing a hole down through the wood. If the shrapnel wasn't bad enough, the noise was. In a confined space, it sounded as if a cannon had gone off. Add to that the horrible crunch of metal and wood shattering and you have one hell of a deafening blast. Before the dust could even settle, I kicked open the door and ran inside.

I found Mr. Vermoune cowering under his desk, hands over his head as if expecting a bomb to go off. I took a moment to take in the room; just as bleak as the outside, except for a lone painting hanging on a far wall. Without really thinking, I walked over and grabbed the cowering man by the collar, dragging him from his hiding spot and giving him a swift kick to the gut.

"That's for making my life miserable." Mr. Vermoune just rolled onto his side, gasping for breath from the blow. "Now, down to business." I grabbed his shirt front and brought him up to my face. "You've been very busy lately, haven't you?"

"I…I don't know-" A quick smack to the face with my revolver stopped his gibbering.

"Have a seat; we're going to have a little chat." I dragged him over to a padded chair and forced him into it. "Saracos, if you would." With the man still babbling and wheezing, Saracos blasted his feet with an ice beam, anchoring him to the floor. He looked around the room wildly, searching for some hope of rescue.

"(I believe you will find your security force to be…indisposed of at the moment.)" Saracos gave him a dark grin before walking over and standing next to me. _Now…how to go about this? _

"Many murders have taken place, as you no doubt know. And every one has a trail of blood leading back here. Very suspicious, especially after that scandal now isn't it?"

"I have nothing to do with that." His voice was surprisingly even for someone under pressure, meaning it was time to up the stakes. I motioned for Saracos to give him another dose, which she was more than willing to do. Mr. Vermoune shivered violently as a thick layer of ice encased the lower part of his leg; freezing it solid.

"You have much at stake in this casino, Mr. Vermoune. The question is, was it worth resorting to murder?" Without waiting for a reply, I aimed my revolver at the midpoint of the ice. Ignoring his pleas, I squeezed the trigger. The shadow bulled tore through ice and flesh, exploding upon impact with bone. A shower of ice and bloody chunks of flesh erupted from the impact point, coating the area around him with gore. His shouts of pain and threats only fueled the cold fury within me.

"It wasn't me who had her killed, it was him!" _So, there IS another in this game? _

"If not you, then who did?" I was determined to stop these murders, even if I had to send more bodies to the morgue in the process. Vermoune refused to tell me anything further, so we repeated the process with his other leg; this time shattering it at kneecap. For a moment I worried that the sound would attract attention, but since no-one came from the first shot it must be fine.

"I hope you burn in hell for this!"

"I probably will, but you'll be there to start the welcome wagon unless you tell me who the assassin is."

"He'll kill me if I tell!"

"Yeah, and I'll kill you for not telling. Kinda leaves you low on options, doesn't it?" He sat there for a moment, panting and groaning from the shock. The ice around what was left of his legs was slowly melting, dripping a mix of blood and water onto the carpet. "Feel like talking yet?" In response, Vermoune spit at me. This earned him another punch in the gut.

"It was Giovanni…he had her killed as a threat to me."

"And the others?" Somehow I doubted that the other murders were ordered by Mr. Carvion.

"The others have nothing to do with this." I placed the barrel underneath his chin, cocking back the hammer slowly. I could smell the fear around him; being so close to death must not sit well with him.

"They have much to do with this, seeing as your answer will affect the next few seconds." Sweat ran freely down his forehead, trickling down and leaving glistening trails behind them. It collected where the grip of my revolver pressed into his skin, running down the barrel and wetting my hand. "Don't even think of lying, I can already smell your fear." He stayed silent for a long while, and then spoke in barely a whisper.

"It was me, I ordered their deaths…" I withdrew my weapon, walking back to Saracos and ignoring his groans of pain.

"Guilty." Without further instruction, Saracos blew out a thick cloud of ice, encasing Mr. Vermoune within an icy coffin. In a swift motion, I turned and fired three shots; each one tearing through the ice and shattering his frozen body. Each blast sending ice and body parts outward, coating the room in chunks of frozen flesh and bone. This time the familiar numbness struck.

I sank to my knees, shaking violently from the thought of what I had just done. _It had finally happened; I killed another for revenge… _I could feel the shadows closing in on me, ready to devour what little humanity was left. I rocked forward slightly, moaning softly as the realization sunk in deeper, piercing my heart like an icy dagger.

"Aniki, are you all right?" _That voice, how could she feel concern for me?_ _For her species, killing was just another part of life. But for me, it was something alien. What now? How can I face her after losing myself to emotion and becoming the thing I despise most? _When I felt a soft paw touch my shoulder I looked up. Again, her eyes reflected such concern, but I didn't deserve it. "Aniki, you need to pull yourself together."

"What's the point? Our only lead is dead and once this is discovered they'll have me hauled off. Why not just end it all now?" I looked back down, slipping further into the shadows of remorse.

"I was wrong about you." her voice no longer had a flat tone to it. Now, every word carried such sadness that I had to listen. "The one I swore my life to would never curl up and let something like this beat him. No, he was much stronger than that." Her words rang true; I couldn't let this beat me. _But why fight it? Why deny the fate that has befallen me?_

"Then leave, live your life and forget me."

"I cannot do that, I swore a silent oath that night and it must be upheld. It is the unwritten law that binds us together, aniki." Still her voice carried such sadness, but there was a bit of warmth to it as well. Those words, they must have come from the heart…_still she stands by me even in my moment of weakness…but why?_

"There's nothing left to follow, I am but a broken man."

"You are only that if you believe it is so, aniki. We all choose our paths in life, some good and some bad. But it is how we act upon those choices which shape who we are." _Such wisdom from someone so young. How could she say such a thing about someone she barely knew? Maybe I was wrong? Maybe I could fight against the curse?_

"Why do you insist on following me? Is it just because I spared you?" Saracos said nothing for a moment, staring at me with those icy blue eyes before replying.

"I…don't know really. I suppose it was because of my oath…but now it seems like more. Like we were destined to meet. My life before you killed my former master was one of pain and despair. Many times I considered ending my own life to escape it, but never had the opportunity. Then on that fateful day, you freed me from my suffering. You brought me away from a life of servitude and into one of equality. I guess you could say that I owe more than just my life to you, aniki." She gently brushed a paw against my cheek; her silky fur for forced a small laugh out of me.

"Guess there's no point fighting against you, is there?"

"Nope, you're stuck with me for life." She gave me a genuine smile, exposing several teeth. That look reminded me so much of my old partner…of old times. Somehow her cold charm pierced the veil of darkness that had fallen upon me, bringing me back into the warmth of another day.

"You're right," I stood up quickly, holstering my revolver and brushing some ice from my pants. "I can't just lie down and give up. I'm too strong for that. We're too strong for that." The numbness faded, replaced with renewed fire. Gone also was the doubt about myself and the path we were on; even if we have to kill everyone involved, we will succeed.

"Come on; let's go pay Mr. Carvion a little social visit. I turned and walked off, Saracos walking by my side like a shadow.

o0o0o0o0o0o0

The sun was breaking over the skyline now, casting its golden rays through the dim streets. A few people were wandering out of their homes, most headed for work in their boring lives. Little did they know that the final act of an unseen story was playing itself out right in front of them. We kept to the back alleys again, using what little shadow remained to our advantage. The Carvion estate was just outside of town, less than ten minutes if you walk fast. We were just passing behind the Pokèmon center when IT appeared. There was no mistaking that silvery fur, or those ruby red eyes…but she should be dead.

"But how, I shot you point blank!" _Was she a zombie, a ghost, or something else?_ Whatever she was, one thing was for sure. My shot had been stronger than I knew; the bullet had ripped through her skull, blasting out a fist-sized section of bone and knocking a hole down through her throat. Blood constantly trickled from the hole in her throat, dripping onto the ground and vanishing. Her eyes were glazed over, but they still reflected her arrogance; even in death she is mocking me. The only thing constant was her fur, unmarred by the grave and beautiful as ever.

"No grave can contain me." Her voice was raspy, a deathly rattle where once music would have been. She just stared, unblinking eyes studying me coldly.

"Even so, I bet there's a special place in hell for you." With unearthly speed, she spun around and ran off into the alley, leaving behind a ball of orange flame in her wake.

"Aniki, what should we do?"

"What else, chase her down and make sure to do the job right this time." I crouched down, leaning forward slightly. "Get on; we're going for a wild ride." Thankfully, Saracos didn't argue with me. Once I felt her forepaws digging into my armpits, I stood up and charged after her, moving swiftly around the fire. Every time I caught sight of her, the bitch would speed up. More than once I thought she had escaped, but for some reason she was trailing will-o-wisp fire. It felt like a trap, but that nagging feeling told me otherwise. Saracos dug her claws into my skin on instinct, but it only drove me on further.

After a particularly wild turn, I lost sight of our quarry. With no fires to pursue, I slowed down and took a moment to catch my breath. _Damnit, can't believe she got away. _The question remained, what was she?

"Aniki, would you let me down please?" I had forgotten that she was there. Without really feeling it, she retracted her claws. With that solved, I leaned down and let her drop to the pavement with a soft thump.

"Too bad it was for nothing; damn bitch got away." _But why lead us this far and suddenly vanish? It's not like this area holds anything significant…_

"What's wrong?"

"It just seems…odd. Why lead us out here and vanish? Why not turn and attack or lead us on further?" _For that matter, how was she even around?_ That room was sealed and no reports of two bodies ever came through. Something wasn't right, and it was getting on my nerves. I was about to turn and head back toward the Carvion estate when a deep piercing howl echoed through the alleyway. The mournful sound seemed to echo across every surface, reverberating and creating a hollow symphony that sent a chill through my body. That howl was intended to strike fear in the hearts of all who heard it, and it was working. I drew my revolver, gaining strength from the heft of my weapon in hand.

"Aniki?" Saracos was obviously shaken; no doubt that primal howl had an even deeper effect on her. I put my hand on her back, just above the shoulder blades. I could feel her trembling slightly under my hand, which was surprising. I never thought something as simple as a howl would get to her like that.

"Sounds like the party's started, I say we invite ourselves." Something tells me we're closer to our real quarry then ever before. _Fitting that my last dance would be in at sunrise_. Always figured on dying in the dark, but this works too. A second howl pierced the morning air, this time closer to our position.

"I think it's time we make ourselves known, don't you?" The trembling became worse for a moment, and then stopped. She looked up, giving me a determined look.

"Let's end this." I stood up to my full height, stretching my back and preparing myself both physically and mentally for the task ahead. After nearly 200 years I may die, but at least it won't be alone. I know that Saracos will fight at my side until the end. I have a feeling that it's more than an oath that drives her, but her intentions are good and I really enjoy her company. It's too bad I'm cursed, because things COULD have turned out different…

"Hell awaits us, let's make sure to bring them with us" It sounded better in my head, but it'll work. With one final look around the area, we charged in the direction the howls seemed to originate from.

o0o0o0o0o0o0

Through back alleys and down side streets we ran, following the howls that rang out at odd intervals. Whatever was out there, it was on the hunt. Our pursuit lead us to the entrance of a dead-end alleyway. At the end, a large Mightyena was standing over the crumpled form of a human. Even from where we were it was obvious he was dead. Blood was pooling around his neck, running along the cracks in the pavement and mixing with the runoff from a swamp cooler, trickling down in a diluted red stream. The black dog looked up from its grisly kill, a thin trail of drool dripping off its bloodstained muzzle. A mixture of hatred and insanity reflected in those black orbs. In the corner a single human stood watching, most likely the human directing the Mightyena.

"Aniki…it's him…" I didn't take my gaze away for a second, knowing perfectly well that one wrong move would cause it to flee or attack. I slowly brought my weapon to bear, hoping that the motion would go unnoticed.

"Kill them!" _So much for this being easy. _The black dog lunged, uttering an unearthly growl. Saracos dodged left and I dodged right, narrowly avoiding the first attack. The creature landed hard, skidding along the wet ground. A shout of pain told me the human was either dead or dying; no doubt the former. Saracos wastes no time killing her victims. _Now only the Mightyena to deal with_.

The creature in question recovered from the initial miss, charging a Shadow ball and firing. I brought my revolver up to bear, firing a single round at the incoming attack. The two blasts connected with a deafening roar, sending waves of energy outward from where they connected. In the confusion, something heavy crashed into my chest, knocking me onto my back. The Mightyena had lunged just as the two attacks collided, using the resulting explosion as a distraction to attack. I could smell its foul breath, the stench of rotting meat mixed with blood washed over me like a sickening cloud. Yellowed teeth snapped inches away from my throat. The sudden impact had knocked my revolver away, leaving me weaponless. I grabbed it around the throat, attempting to push it off. The thick muscles of its neck were drawn taught, vibrating with a deep growl. I could feel its weight crushing down on me, leaving me helpless.

"ANIKI!" Saracos crashed into the black dog's side, knocking it off of me and sending both of them tumbling to the pavement. The two rolled along for a bit, both of them biting and clawing at each other in a frenzy of combat. A mix of snarls, screeches and whines came from the two as they rolled across the ground, both unwilling to let go. I used the confusion to scramble over to my revolver. It skidded once before my hand closed around the cold metal of its grip. When I turned back, Saracos and the Mightyena were still locked in a melee struggle, leaving no possible shot.

"Aniki, do it!" I hesitated, unsure of what to do. If I fired, there was a chance she would be hit instead…but if I didn't, that creature would eventually overpower her…

"Don't worry about me, just kill him!" I muttered a silent prayer to whatever form of God was listening and pulled the trigger. The shot rang out, echoing through the brick alleyway like a cannon. The shadow bullet sped forward, striking the Mightyena square in the chest.

"Checkmate." The bullet shattered the side of its ribcage, breaking bone and tearing through muscle and organs. The creature whined once, staring at the fist-sized hole where its heart used to be. Blood poured from the wound, coating Saracos and spilling onto the ground in a crimson wave. A sickly gurgle passed its lips, one final mockery before its eyes rolled upward and the great dog fell to the ground, dead.

It was then that the wave of numbness struck, less intense than before but still present. It was over…we had stopped the assassin once and for all. My knees threatened to give out as I walked over to help Saracos up.

"Aniki?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks…"

"No problem. I'm starting to like having you around." Saracos leapt up, soaking my shirt in blood and wrapping her forelegs around me in a strong hug. It took a moment for it to sink in, but once it did I returned the gesture. "Come on, let's get this called in…"


	5. Part 5

00o0o0o0o0o0

Saracos and I were enjoying a quiet lunch in our renovated office. The scandal that our investigation brought to light made us instant celebrities. The department was forced to overlook our discrepancies and nominate us heroes to Vermillion. They did also offer us a promotion, which we declined. The thought of being off the streets and trapped behind a desk did NOT appeal to either of us. So we instead moved our office to a better part of the city, sealing both our partnership in work and our friendship in leisure.

Oddly enough, the Lucky Spinda casino burned down just a few days after the case broke. Arson was suspected, but they never found anything conclusive. As for Giovanni, he walked away clean due to lack of solid evidence and the work of his slick lawyers. A part of me wanted to shoot him on the spot, but that feeling was overruled by Saracos' stern gaze. Heh, guess she's good to have around for more than just her combat skills.

Even now that we're equals in our detective work she still calls me aniki. Every time I try to dissuade her, she just smiles and calls me that anyway. It's not like that's a bad thing; she could have started calling me master or something after I saved her life. At least aniki conveys some level of equality, not the level I would like but it's the best it'll ever get so why fight it? Our new place was nice; we worked only a block from one of the best delis in the region, one that we were frequent customers of. I was just taking another bite of my pastrami and rye when someone knocked.

"I'll get it aniki." I figured if it needed my attention they would enter, so I just let her get it. So I just leaned back in my chair, savoring my lunch with gusto. _Man, how did I survive on that convenience store crap? _Saracos was talking with a messenger Zangoose, probably the new mail carrier for our area. _Good food and a stiff drink, now that's the way to live_. So great was my enjoyment, I barely noticed Saracos tossing a small envelope on my desk.

"Letter for you, no return address, but it smells clean." I leaned forward, taking another bite and picking up the small envelope. The only thing written on the front was my name. I turned it around hoping to find some clue of its origin. All I found was a silver wax seal with a large D stamped into its surface. I brushed it off, tossing the mystery note onto a stack of unopened mail and opening my bag of chips.

Things were really looking up, no murders had occurred since that night. Sure it meant that we had less work, but we're on payroll either way. I was just nodding off when the phone rang. I answered brightly, but soon darkened my tone.

"Detective Winchester, how may I help you?"

"This is Doc from pathology, the dental work on that Mightyena came through. No match." I stayed silent for a moment, too shocked to reply. "Hello?" 

"I'm here. Are you sure it wasn't a match?" How could it be? I saw the body of its latest victim…

"Right species but the jaw was too small to have been the killer." I replaced the receiver slowly, still in shock from the news. _If I didn't kill the assassin that night, then who was that? _I quickly snatched the mystery letter, tearing it open and pulling out a single sheet of folded paper.

'Well played detective, well played. I must say your performance was quite admirable in our little game. It's too bad that you came up short in the end, but I'm sure that we will play again. I must also thank you for eliminating a very…irritating competitor, nice touch on blowing the corpse to pieces. In the future though, do try and keep things neater; it's such a hassle to arrange for a clean up.'

D

I stared at the note, not believing what it said. I wanted it to be some sick joke, but the l's jumped. I had been played from the beginning. Whoever D was, they had used me like a pawn; guiding me toward its ultimate goal. And I had gone right along with it…and now, both it and the murderer are still free; lurking in the shadows, waiting for their next 'game'.

"Aniki?" I set the note down, fighting hard do restrain the rage building within me. I slammed my fist onto the desk hard, making my glass jump.

"Damnit!"

_End._


End file.
